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Glanbia Nutritionals, Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) and Select Milk Producers Inc. (Select), announce that they have, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, selected the City of St. Johns, Michigan as the preferred location for their new joint venture large-scale cheese and whey production facility for the State of Michigan, which is now expected to be commissioned in the fourth quarter of 2020 at a cost of $470 million.

The new facility will process 8 million pounds of milk per day into a range of cheese (300m lbs per year ) and whey products for U.S. and international markets, employing approximately 250 staff when in full production. In addition, the partners confirm that an agreement has been reached with Proliant Dairy Ingredients to process the whey permeate. Proliant will invest $85m in an adjoining facility, creating up to 38 jobs.

The preferred site in St. Johns meets key selection criteria in terms of strategic location relative to milk supply, strong transport links, a positive business environment and labor availability. The partners have engaged with State and City officials as well as community leaders, to address issues such as cost, infrastructure and planning in order to finalize the decision. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation today approved a package of incentives that address these areas.

Commenting on the announcement, Brian Phelan, Chief Executive Officer of Glanbia Nutritionals said, “The finalization of the preferred location is a critical step on our journey to deliver a new ultra-modern dairy facility in Michigan. We want to thank the state and city authorities for their continued support as we move to commence construction as soon as possible.”

“The construction of this plant in St. Johns will not only address a growing industry need for Michigan plant capacity, but it also adds value and supports our local dairy farm families in this area,” said Greg Wickham, chief financial officer at DFA.

Glanbia plc

Glanbia plc is a global nutrition company, grounded in nature and science and dedicated to providing better nutrition for every step of life’s journey.

Glanbia plc has deep roots in the dairy industry and has become the world’s leading producer and marketer of quality performance nutrition products supporting active lifestyles. Its success as a global provider of innovative nutritional solutions is supported by significant investment in research and development.

With total group turnover of €3.87 billion in 2017, 6,600 employees and a presence in 32 countries worldwide, Glanbia’s vision is to be one of the world’s top performing nutrition companies, trusted to enrich lives every day.

Dairy Farmers of America is a national, farmer-owned dairy cooperative focusing on quality, innovation and the future of family dairies. While supporting and serving more than 14,500 family farmers, DFA works with some of the world’s largest food companies to develop ingredients that satisfy their customers’ cravings while staying committed to social responsibility and ethical farming. For more information, please visit www.dfamilk.com.

Select Milk Producers:

Select Milk Producers Inc. (Select) is a large dairy cooperative serving its 99 member farms and customers primarily in the Southwest and the Midwest regions.For more information visit www.selectmilk.com

Proliant Dairy:

Proliant Dairy is a dairy ingredient manufacturer headquartered in Ankeny, Iowa. With nearly 25 years in the dairy business, Proliant is focused on developing the highest quality dairy ingredients for food and feed customers with products based from milk and whey permeate. For more information, visit www.proliantdairy.com.